Method for maintenance or exchange of encryption function in storage system and storage device

Abstract

In order to quickly perform maintenance or exchange of a controller of a storage device having an encryption function in a storage system, a first controller in a Ready state spoofs a second controller subjected to maintenance or exchange to acquire key information from a key management server and to store the information in a memory, and a second controller reads the key information from the memory of the first controller to store the information in an own memory to convert the second controller into a Ready state. Then, the first controller deletes acquired key information from an own memory to convert the controller into a Halt state.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A storage device connected to a host computer, comprising:
 a disk drive device constituted of a plurality of disks for storing encrypted data, 
 a first controller for performing control of transceiving data between the first controller and the host computer, and 
 a second controller for maintenance or exchange for performing control of transceiving data between the second controller and the host computer, 
 wherein 
 the first controller has a means for using information on authentication and identification of the second controller as acquired from a managing server to access a key management server and to acquire key information, and a means for storing in a memory the key information of the second controller as acquired from the key management server, and 
 the second controller has a means for reading the key information from the memory of the first controller to write the information in a memory, and 
 a means for setting the second controller per se in a Ready state. 
 
     
     
       2. The storage device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first controller has a means for detecting existence of the second controller in the storage device. 
 
     
     
       3. The storage device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first controller has a means for deleting the key information from the memory upon completion of writing to a memory the key information in the second controller. 
 
     
     
       4. The storage device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first controller has a means for transmitting to the second controller a notice of completion of storage of the key information in a memory, and 
 the second controller has a means for transmitting to the first controller a notice of completion of storage of the key information in a memory. 
 
     
     
       5. The storage device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first controller performs control of transceiving data between the host computer and the disk drive device, and processing of acquisition of the key information, and after the second controller comes into a Ready state in which the control of transceiving data is allowed, the first controller and the second controller perform the control of transceiving data until the first controller comes into a Halt state. 
 
     
     
       6. A method for maintenance or exchange of an encryption function in a storage system comprising a storage device having a disk drive device constituted of a plurality of disks storing encrypted data, a first controller for performing control of transceiving data between the first controller and a host computer, and a second controller for maintenance or exchange for performing control of transceiving data between the second controller and the host computer,
 wherein the first controller uses information on authentication and identification of the second controller as acquired from a managing server to access a key management server and to acquire key information, and stores in a memory the key information of the second controller as acquired from the key management server, 
 and the second controller reads the key information from the memory of the first controller to write the information in a memory, and sets the second controller per se to a Ready state. 
 
     
     
       7. The method for maintenance or exchange of the encryption function in the storage system according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first controller detects existence of the second controller in the storage device before acquisition of the key information. 
 
     
     
       8. The method for maintenance or exchange of the encryption function in the storage system according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first controller has a means for deleting the key information from the memory upon completion of writing the key information in a memory in the second controller. 
 
     
     
       9. The method for maintenance or exchange of the encryption function in the storage system according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first controller transmits to the second controller a notice of completion of storage of the key information in a memory upon completion of storage of the key information in the memory, and 
 the second controller transmits to the first controller a notice of completion of storage of the key information in a memory upon completion of storage of the key information in the memory. 
 
     
     
       10. The method for maintenance or exchange of the encryption function in the storage system according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first controller performs control of transceiving data between the host computer and the disk drive device, and processing of acquisition of the key information, and after the second controller comes into a Ready state, the first controller and the second controller perform the control of transceiving data until the first controller comes into a Halt state.